Something for Tea This Week

For our Orthodox wedding tea party in July, I asked my caterer to make dates stuffed with chèvre and pistachios. She added a drizzle of local honey to make this resplendent treat:

They were wonderful. Photo credit: Pelikan Portraits, 2014.

This weekend, I wanted to make a special tea treat for my in-laws while they were in town. We didn’t have pistachios in the house, but roasted unsalted almonds worked splendidly for our home version.

They aren’t as pretty as the catered ones, because I made these under the influence of my four children. 🙂

If you want a change from biscuits this week, why not give stuffed dates a try? Here’s the home version of the recipe. It makes about 18 stuffed dates.

INGREDIENTS:

4oz. log of goat cheese (chèvre)

1/2 lb. fresh medjool dates

About 20 roasted, unsalted almonds (may used spiced or salted if you’d like)

Split the dates with a small knife and remove the pits. With a spreader or shallow spoon, add about 1 teaspoon of chèvre to each split date. Add one almond (or pistachio) to the cheese section of each date and squeeze dates closed a little. Serve immediately or freeze for up to a month. If refrigerated in a sealed container, they taste best when eaten within a couple of days; after that the cheese dries out.

These tea treats are deceptively filling. They make a wonderful addition to autumn tea tables. We have been enjoying them with Taylors of Harrogate Assam. Which tea do you prefer with stuffed dates?